Justin Fyvie Repeats Super Ox and Biltong Cow Carcass Success at the Royal
Justin Fyvie (left) with judges Douglas Fletcher and Dave Shewan after securing wins in the Group of Four (470 kg+), Super Ox and Biltong Cow classes during the on-the-hoof judging at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show.
Justin Fyvie of Five Star Santa Gertrudis has repeated his 2025 Royal Show success, winning both the Champion Super Ox Carcass and the Cure House Champion Biltong Cow Carcass titles at the 2026 Royal Carcass Competition.
Both championship carcasses were Santa Gertrudis and progeny of JT150001 Hercules, adding an important breeding achievement to Fyvie's back-to-back success.
The results were among the highlights of the beef section at the Royal Agricultural Show, held at the new Royal Showgrounds at Tweedie, near Howick, during the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal's 175th anniversary year.
The Royal Carcass Competition assesses the quality of the finished product following the on-the-hoof judging conducted earlier in the Royal Fat Stock Show.
The Champion Super Ox Carcass at the 2026 Royal Carcass Competition, exhibited by Five Star Santa Gertrudis.
Five Star Santa Gertrudis Claims Champion Super Ox Carcass
The Super Ox category recognises heavier beef carcasses, with a cold carcass mass exceeding 340kg.
Fyvie's winning Santa Gertrudis earned the prestigious Louwrens Floating Trophy, together with the championship sash, rosette, certificate and cash prize.
In the carcass assessment conducted by SAMIC at Halaal Fresh Meats Abattoir, the winning animal, number 96, achieved a score of 82.78 points.
Interestingly, the same animal had placed third in the Super Ox class on the hoof, while Fyvie's on-the-hoof champion, number 95, subsequently finished third in the carcass judging.
The different placings highlight the additional insights provided by carcass assessment, with both animals demonstrating their quality at different stages of the competition.
At the Royal Carcass Auction on Saturday, 10 October, the Champion Super Ox Carcass achieved R71/kg, selling for R29,407.49 to Monas Food Express.
Judges Dave Shewan and Douglas Fletcher with Justin Fyvie (from left) and the Champion Super Ox on the hoof, exhibited by Five Star Santa Gertrudis at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show. The animal went on to place third in the Super Ox category of the Royal Carcass Competition.
Biltong Cow Award Completes the Double
Fyvie also claimed the Cure House Champion Biltong Cow Carcass title, recognising the commercial value of mature cattle destined for the traditional biltong market.
His winning Santa Gertrudis cow, K101, had already claimed first place in the on-the-hoof Biltong Cow Competition, weighing 716kg. It subsequently topped the carcass judging with a score of 95 points, completing a double victory for the same animal.
Five Star's second entry, K100, also performed exceptionally well. Having placed third on the hoof, it finished second in the carcass competition with 94 points, just one point behind K101.
The Cure House Champion Biltong Cow Carcass achieved R63/kg at auction, selling for R26,082 to Ashweald Farming.
The award received sponsorship from Cure House, which contributed a cash prize alongside that presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal.
The Cure House Champion Biltong Cow Carcass at the 2026 Royal Carcass Competition, exhibited by Five Star Santa Gertrudis.
K101, exhibited by Justin Fyvie of Five Star Santa Gertrudis, claimed first place in both the on-the-hoof and carcass judging of the Biltong Cow Competition at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show. K101 is progeny of JT150001 Hercules.
Success Across the Royal Fat Stock Show
Five Star Santa Gertrudis won all three on-the-hoof classes in which it participated, claiming the Group of Four category for cattle over 470kg, sweeping the first three places in the Super Ox class, and taking first and third places in the Biltong Cow Competition.
These achievements, together with the stud's subsequent carcass results, demonstrated the consistency of Fyvie's Santa Gertrudis breeding programme and provided further recognition for the breeding influence of JT150001 Hercules.
RAS General Manager Wayne Muller and Livestock Secretary Julia Hackland present Justin Fyvie with an award during the on-the-hoof judging at the 2025 Royal Fat Stock Show. Five Star Santa Gertrudis went on to win the Champion Super Ox Carcass and Champion Biltong Cow Carcass titles, with the latter also having won on the hoof.
Back-to-Back Success at the Royal
The 2026 achievements continued an impressive run for Five Star Santa Gertrudis at the Royal Carcass Competition.
In 2025, a Santa Gertrudis from Five Star claimed the Champion Super Ox Carcass award, while a Santa Gertrudis cross won the Biltong Cow carcass championship. The latter animal had also won the Biltong Cow Competition on the hoof.
Fyvie's repeat championships in 2026 underline the performance of his breeding programme, with Santa Gertrudis cattle continuing to achieve success against other breeds in both live and carcass competitions.
The 2026 Royal Fat Stock Show and Beef Carcass Competition were supported by the KwaZulu-Natal Red Meat Producers' Organisation (KZN RPO), Voermol Feeds, HIPRA, ADM Animal Nutrition and the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal, with additional sponsorship for the Biltong Cow carcass award from Cure House.
